TCL announces XL Collection line of TVs, vows to take 8K mainstream this year

TCL makes among the greatest under-$1,000 TVs you should purchase, and it was additionally early to undertake the Mini LED know-how that TV makers like Samsung and LG are solely beginning to use of their 2021 lineups. (TCL’s 8-Collection and 6-Collection each already embody Mini LED backlighting.) For 2021, the corporate is hoping to mix its aggressive pricing technique and technological head begin on Mini LED for a brand new 6-Collection that additionally goes all in on 8K decision.

“Within the 12 months forward, all 2021 6-Collection TCL Roku TV fashions being launched will function 8K decision,” TCL introduced in a press launch in the present day, noting that final 12 months’s fashions will stay accessible as properly. TCL’s AiPQ engine will have the ability to upscale 4K content material to larger readability and sharpness on the brand new 6-Collection.

TCL thinks it’s properly forward of rivals in LCD TV know-how, and that’s due to the corporate’s vertical integration and manufacturing experience. This 12 months, it’s introducing a brand new panel branded as “OD Zero” as a result of the hole between the show and backlight system is zero millimeters. The result’s what TCL describes as an “ultra-slim show with tens of hundreds of Mini LEDs and hundreds of distinction management zones.”

After LG introduced it could begin making LCD TVs with Mini LED, TCL published a prickly blog post that criticized OLED’s low general market share. “There are TVs with a show know-how that hasn’t notably modified because it was first utilized in TVs within the early 2010s and nonetheless solely accounts for lower than three p.c of world TV gross sales,” TCL’s Aaron Dew wrote earlier than speaking up the sooner evolution of LCD units and advantages of Mini LED. “To these manufacturers excited to introduce Mini LED in 2021, my solely query is ‘what took you so lengthy?”

TCL’s most up-to-date 6-Collection acquired robust critiques and was additionally an ideal alternative for avid gamers — although it couldn’t fairly pull off 4K decision at 120Hz. Presumably, that’s one thing TCL will look to resolve with this upcoming mannequin.

In 2021, TCL can even debut The XL Assortment, a lineup of 85-inch shows at totally different worth factors and resolutions. Right here’s what the corporate says you possibly can anticipate:

Three totally different fashions will make up the XL Assortment this 12 months and every 85-inch TV will function efficiency ranges for each form of dwelling theater. From a merely sensible 85-inch 4-Collection TCL Roku TV that delivers the simplest technique to take pleasure in 4K HDR streaming and an 85-inch 4K HDR TCL Roku TV with QLED image high quality to the final word 85-inch Mini LED powered 8K TCL TV with QLED huge colour know-how, the XL Assortment will match any finances and exceed the best efficiency requirements to ship larger-than-life dwelling leisure.

The 4-Collection shall be first out of the gate among the many XL Assortment: it’s coming this quarter for $1,599. Not unhealthy for an enormous 4K show. The pricier XL units with higher QLED (quantum dot colour) image high quality will come later within the 12 months. Pricing on these is to be introduced — and the identical goes for the 8K 6-Collection.